I am not happy with Cignetti either but man that was classless and uncalled for. I realize most of it was due to pent up frustration from the debacle last week but still. That said, I haven't seen a stranger way to obtain 250+ yards as what Izzy did. He had to have 15 runs for 2 yards or less, 10 of those probably 1 run or less. And it never, I dont l know, felt like we "established our will" on the ground. You know, line it up, go for 5-6 yards per play like Cignetti did with Dion. This was weird. Its like 0, -1, 2, 31, -1, 0, 2, 45, 0, 2, 27, -1, 0, 62, etc
Booing running plays the same day a school rushing record was set
- Thread starter Sean Miller Fan
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*Some Pitt fans booed their frustration about the team’s play selection.
*Izzy Abanikanda was magnificent and record-shattering today.
While the two statements (above) appear to be contradictory, they both can also be accurate.
That's the type of runner he is, and that's why you keep running him even when he's not picking up yards. His yards seem to come that way every game.
It's why I can't stand when people say "take away the 80 yard run and..."
There were some people sitting near me bitching that we were going to run the ball right before we gave it to Izzy for the 80 yard touchdown run. And I'm sitting there thinking what the frack are you people complaining about, he's already got 218 rushing yards, of course they're going to give him the freaking ball! They'd be idiots not to.
He’s a home run hitter, he will swing and miss, but also hit game changing home runs. Or maybe a boxing comparison is better…Izzy being that boxer with knock out power. He legit has a chance to knock out the D every play with his talent.
Agree it’s really stupid to say if you take away this run as they all count.
I found it hilarious when we booed Slovis twice during play for not seeing white open streaks down the field. The first time I believe he threw it away... the second though he hit a short route that then went for a first down during the boos. I'll confess I was a boo bird today and on that play.
I think this is just what happens when a very good RB with breakaway speed runs behind a bad line. Anytime there is a lane he makes something happen, but when you line up with 2 TEs into loaded boxes you are gonna have a lot of 1 yard runs if you don't block.
Nobody is booing players, unless they are some “villain” player on the other team. They are booing the failing system. The failing system devised by guys making millions upon millions of dollars. And those doing that booing are this quaint concept called “customers”, who invest money and time to consume the product.
When the product sucks, it’s not surprising when dissatisfaction is expressed. In fact it is when ISN’T expressed is when they should really be worried, because it denotes a customer base that doesn’t give a flunk anymore (or didn’t even bother to show up in the first place).
By means of comparison and illustration, booing is seldom heard at Pirates games. Do people here truly want the product to get so bad for so long that nobody gives a flunk?
“The players don’t understand it’s not they who are being booed.” For heavens sake of course they do. They’ve been in sports all their lives and they themselves have attended games as fans. They’ve certainly booed something a time or two in their lives. They know it’s directed at the situation.
When the product sucks, it’s not surprising when dissatisfaction is expressed. In fact it is when ISN’T expressed is when they should really be worried, because it denotes a customer base that doesn’t give a flunk anymore (or didn’t even bother to show up in the first place).
By means of comparison and illustration, booing is seldom heard at Pirates games. Do people here truly want the product to get so bad for so long that nobody gives a flunk?
“The players don’t understand it’s not they who are being booed.” For heavens sake of course they do. They’ve been in sports all their lives and they themselves have attended games as fans. They’ve certainly booed something a time or two in their lives. They know it’s directed at the situation.
It looked much better in retrospect with all the long runs. But in the moment, we were getting in a lot of 3rd and 9’s.
I guess he needed the reps to get to the big ones - but I understood what the crowd was thinking. In any event, legendary performance by Izzy.
I guess he needed the reps to get to the big ones - but I understood what the crowd was thinking. In any event, legendary performance by Izzy.
Anyone who thinks we shouldn't have passed more is a liar or lair superstar. They are just the same. Only fans.
Cignetti is not gonna last.
Cignetti is not gonna last.
It's not running the ball that's the problem. It's running from a tight formation. Izzy does better when the WRs are wide. Our passing game is better too.
I think the frustration was also because we had a 15 point lead in the 3rd quarter and it’s like he’s trying to run the clock out. I give Cigs credit for going for it on 4th down there though. Didn’t work but it was the right call. Just too many “run, run, incomplete pass, punt” type drives.
The run didn't open up until we started spreading the field/throwing. And eventually we'll need to rely on the pass and it won't be there because we've showed zero improvement in throwing the football.
Yep. I also don't want to hear that we're just unlucky if Izzy goes down, because giving a dude of his physical stature this many carries per game is basically making it a matter of when, not if.
Our section booed loudly on the three plays from our own end zone. It wasn’t we were unhappy with running the ball it’s just that we are so predictable and in vulnerable downs that is not a good thing.
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Well, I think that take away the 80 yard run statement is accurate. Because if you stop the run all day and he goes once for 80, that's only 7 points
I think this game highlights the issues with the offense. If you’re not hitting home runs a lot of the plays are negative or very short games
Also they need to throw to him some in space like PSU did with Saquon. I'd subsitute a few between the tackle plays for screen passes, swing passes, wheel routes, etc
Which is why its the strangest games I've seen in awhile. If Izzy doesn't hit so many HR's we lose to the worst VT team since the 80s. Is that sustainable?
I think this hits on the biggest problem ... it's not running ball that's problematic. It's running it on pretty much every single 1st and 2nd down, when we are in a formation where we can't do much other than run the ball. It's predictableness of our offense that I think people are booing. Yes, we "imposed our will" in spite of the predictableness and had a huge game on the ground even when VT knew it was coming -- but as we learned only a few years ago, that run heavy, impose our will offense is probably only good enough for a 7-7 season (7-5 regular season). Maybe 8-4 or 9-3 against an easier schedule than what we faced that year, but you are probably not winning 10 games running that offense. You are going to have a hard time staying healthy and feeling good.
I think Cignetti is trying to hard to be more balanced than Watson's offense was, but Slovis doesn't look comfortable enough and our receivers don't look talented enough for our passing game to be a major threat.
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We had people in our section complaining we didn't kick a 52 yard field goal. Fans love to complain.
Slovis is averaging 8 yards per attempt, only thrown 3 picks this year. The one yesterday should have been caught. The pass offense isnt great but it's been fine, especially using the tight end and the middle of the field. I'm not getting the doomsday stuff about the offense on a day we had a guy run for 320 yards.
The defense seems to have taken a step back despite not losing anyone as essential as Pickett or Addison. I am hoping it's just a slump and they start forcing some more 3 and outs.
I do think Pitt seems a little flat sometimes, so I'm concerned too, but it's a team that can still win the coastal. UNC game looking big.
Slovis is averaging 8 yards per attempt, only thrown 3 picks this year. The one yesterday should have been caught. The pass offense isnt great but it's been fine, especially using the tight end and the middle of the field. I'm not getting the doomsday stuff about the offense on a day we had a guy run for 320 yards.
The defense seems to have taken a step back despite not losing anyone as essential as Pickett or Addison. I am hoping it's just a slump and they start forcing some more 3 and outs.
I do think Pitt seems a little flat sometimes, so I'm concerned too, but it's a team that can still win the coastal. UNC game looking big.
Maybe if we keep the field spread and interject some semblance of a passing game. Otherwise, teams will play us exactly how Pitt has played for years. Play the run on the way to rushing the quarterback.
Narduzzi is obsessed with this style of play, and now he's managed to build the offense that his defense is built to stop. Weird that he wouldn't rather have the type of offense that typically gashes his defenses.
I wouldn't say he is obsessed with this style of play at all. Half his tenure he had a more wide open approach. And the last coordinator that was only run run run was fired.
I truly think he was hoping to get a balance/better run game without sacrificing the pass game. I think it is more on Slovis and just losing confidence after the UT injury. Cignetti can & will pass. It's up to the QB to deliver and the receivers to get open
The sequence of play calling over the course of the entire game just doesn’t make sense. Early in the game the routes and overall play design wasn’t generating anything. Later in the game Slovis had deep balls open and he passed them up. The offense put up a lot of points today, but that style won’t get it done every week.
Now the defense, underwhelming once again.
Now the defense, underwhelming once again.
Right. If that was an effective approach, the Detroit Lions would have won a lot more games with Barry Sanders.
The points thing wasn't applicable yesterday, but we piss way too many drives away.
It was the series when they were pinned down at their own 5 yd. line & lost yardage on 1st & 2nd down & then ran it again on third when the boos came. In my mind they did not trust Slovis to throw it down there, for fear of a safety, which VT almost got on 3rd down run. Cignetti has to see how much better the running got with Carter in the game. I know Izzy had TD's without Carter in there, But he never lost yardage when he was in there as the fullback & lead blocker. If I was the coach, Carter would always be in the game, except for definite passing downs. If Carter was in for that series at their own 5 maybe they don't lose yardage on all 3 downs ?
I actually can’t gripe about that possession too much; if we’d given up a sack for a safety or worse, everyone would be complaining of that irresponsible behavior. It was more the other possessions that became very predictable to defense, and on top of that Slovis missing obvious opportunities either to scramble for first downs or to find open receivers despite being given good time. Major credit to the OL and Izzy for the big runs last night, but I joked yesterday that we discovered the secret for Cig’s offense: just make sure the lead back goes for 320 yards every week. No problem.
I don't hear people taking away big plays the DBs give up when being critical about pass defense. You don't take away any plays when evaluating a performance. That's lazy analysis to fit a predermined agenda.
The offense was plenty good enough yesterday with a QB who was struggling. I don't think this is the game to complain about Cig's play calling. We had a QB standing alone in the pocket most pass plays with guys running around open, and he just couldn't find them. I can't put that on the OC.
The defense was below average yesterday. The front 7 deserves some scrutiny.
People were booing early on when the game script was ridiculous down near the goal line. And at other points early on when the offense was looking terrible. I don't think people were booing much once Izzy got going.
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They were booing Cignetti's play calling not players.
If you take away the 80 yard run yesterday how many yards did Abanikanda run for? And how many touchdowns?
Also, if you are going to take away the 80 yard run, what are you going to add back in for essentially taking away a whole Pitt possession? If he doesn't run for 80 yards all at once, does he run for 60 yards on six carries and score a touchdown on the possession anyway?
Rather than try to figure out how to manipulate the numbers to account for things that didn't happen, why not just take the numbers for what actually happened for what they actually mean?
